Monthly Archives: November 2014

CEF is pleased to report that we have awarded just over $19,000 in professional development funds to our teachers to attend conferences and workshops as a result of our Fall grant cycle. CEF funded 8 of the 9 applications received and, through your continued generosity, the following teachers will be taking advantage of many special opportunities over next few months:

First grade teachers Amanda Gilchrist & Jennifer Demers will attend the Teachers College Summer Reading Institute in New York City

The middle school science team will attend the National Science Teachers Association 2015 National Conference in Chicago

Sixth grade Social Studies teacher Erin Rooney will attend the National Conference of Social Studies in Boston

Tara Callahan will attend the American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Salt Lake City, UT to support 11 of her students accepted by audition into this prestigious program

Four teachers (1 teacher and special educator from each Grades 3 and 4) will be trained in the Leveled Literacy Intervention System

Five elementary teachers, the math specialist and the superintendent will attend the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference in Boston next spring

Kristy Hartono will attend a Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages Conference in Toronto, Ontario

Teachers who receive CEF awards are asked to share their experiences, goals and results with other teachers upon completion of their project. We look forward to learning about their experiences and how they will apply their results into their daily teaching methods.

The Carlisle Education Foundation has raised well over $1 million dollars for Carlisle Public Schools since its inception. Please look for our annual appeal in mailboxes this December and consider a tax-deductible gift to help us sustain our mission to advance innovation in the classroom, promote excellence in teaching, and enable superior learning opportunities for students and educators in the Carlisle Public School community.

Congratulations to all! The Spring CEF grant cycle takes place in March 2015. Please check the grants section of our website for forms and instructions.

Carlisle Public Schools was able to purchase 12 classroom amplification systems this fall thanks to all of those who donated to our “Fund A Need” at the CEF auction last April. Below is an excerpt from a letter we received from CPS teacher Linda Vanaria on how these systems are used in our classrooms:

While the amplification systems came to Carlisle only two years ago, we witnessed the impact they had immediately….I was fortunate to work with a student who needed the system in order to access the curriculum. The added benefit was that all of the children in the room were able to hear instruction in ways that they had not before. The speaker’s voice would almost float to each person in the room, as if the speaker were sitting next to the student. Students became quite comfortable with wearing the mikes and also appreciated the ability to speak to classmates in a 1:1 speaking voice….Another interesting aspect of the system is that they really help students stay on task as each student can hear what is being said and can also hear conversation between the teacher and another student….The system is particularly helpful when giving two- and three-step directions to all learners. Those students who have difficulty following directions are able to hear them clearly and process them.

Our students currently share the existing units and rotate on a monthly schedule. If you would like to assist our school in purchasing additional systems so they are available for all students daily, please click here to donate (mention “redcat” in your message).